Le Touquet vs Hardelot: Which Golf Trip Wins?
Thirty minutes apart on the Opal Coast, these two are the jewels of golf in northern France, and both date from the same golden age. Le Touquet's La Mer is a Harry Colt links rolling through dunes and pines by the sea. Hardelot's Les Pins is a Tom Simpson strategy puzzle laid through mature forest. We compared them at 2026 rates, and for a short Channel hop the smart answer is usually both.
Photograph: Golf du Touquet, via Google, Resonance Golf Collection
The verdict
If the trip has room for only one round, play Le Touquet's La Mer. It is the more complete golf experience of the pair: a Harry Colt links opened in 1931, sympathetically restored in 2015, that runs about 6,964 yards through genuine coastal dune land with pine corridors and the wind off the Channel for company. It also sits inside the Le Touquet resort, with two further courses and a proper seaside town of restaurants and hotels around it, so a group can fill several days without leaving. As Colt links architecture goes, this is the real thing, and on a breezy day it asks every question.
But do not skip Hardelot's Les Pins, because it is arguably the prettier and more cerebral course. A Tom Simpson design from the early 1930s, it measures only around 6,460 yards yet defends itself through narrow tree lined fairways, subtle green contours and the trademark Simpson bunkering that punishes the lazy line. It is the connoisseur's round, half an hour north toward Boulogne, and it makes Le Touquet feel grand and open by contrast. The verdict: La Mer for the links and the resort scale, Les Pins for the architecture, and since they are 30 minutes apart, a weekend on the Opal Coast should take in both.
Head to head
| What matters | Le Touquet, La Mer | Hardelot, Les Pins |
|---|---|---|
| The course | Harry Colt links of 1931, restored 2015; par 71 of around 6,964 yards through coastal dunes and pines | Tom Simpson design of the early 1930s; par 71 of around 6,460 yards through mature pine forest |
| The character | Exposed, links style, wind dependent; the bigger and longer of the two | Sheltered, strategic, precision golf; tight tree lined corridors and clever greens |
| 2026 green fee | Indicatively from around 60 euros off peak to about 110 at the summer peak | Indicatively around 75 to 110 euros in high season |
| The resort | Le Touquet resort has three courses, La Mer, La Foret and Le Manoir, plus hotels in town | Two courses at Hardelot, Les Pins and Les Dunes, in a quieter forest setting |
| Getting there | Southern Opal Coast; about two hours from Calais and the Channel ports | Just north of Le Touquet near Boulogne sur Mer, about 30 minutes from La Mer |
| Best for | Links lovers, larger groups, a multi day resort base | Architecture buffs, a precision test, a quieter pairing round |
Course facts and fees verified June 2026 against published course information and are indicative; rates change with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee times · Check hotel rates.
Who should pick which
Pick Le Touquet if...
You want links golf and a base with options. La Mer gives you the dunes, the sea breeze and the Colt routing, while the resort's two other courses mean a group of mixed abilities always has something to play, and the town of Le Touquet itself is a smart seaside resort with good restaurants for the evenings. It suits a buddies group that wants several rounds from one hotel, or a couple who want golf plus a beach town. Build it into a longer tour with our France golf holidays page, or keep it relaxed with a buddies trip to France.
Pick Hardelot if...
The architecture is the point. Les Pins is the kind of course that golfers who care about design talk about for years: a Simpson routing where the trees, the angles and the bunkers do all the defending, and where a short hitter who plots their way around can beat a longer player who does not think. It is quieter and more intimate than Le Touquet, which makes it the ideal second course of a trip, the one you play slowly and savor. For a polished version with hotels arranged, see our luxury golf tours of France, or fold it into a society trip.
Or do what most well planned Opal Coast trips do and play both. A three night break can cross the Channel, base near Le Touquet, play La Mer and one of its sister courses, then drive north for Les Pins, with the seafood and the seaside towns filling the gaps. Our guide to golf in France sets the wider scene.
Plan your Opal Coast golf trip
A Colt links in the dunes, a Simpson gem in the pines, and a short Channel hop between you and both: tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge prices it to the head, with no obligation.
Le Touquet vs Hardelot questions
Is Le Touquet or Hardelot the better course?
They are different pleasures from the same golden age. Le Touquet's La Mer is a Harry Colt links of around 6,964 yards that tumbles through coastal dunes and pines, the bigger and more exposed test of the two. Hardelot's Les Pins is a shorter Tom Simpson layout of about 6,460 yards threaded through mature pine forest, where precision and angle matter more than length. For dunes and links character, La Mer. For pure strategic architecture in the trees, Les Pins. Many Opal Coast trips simply play both.
How far apart are Le Touquet and Hardelot?
About 30 minutes by car along the Opal Coast in the Hauts de France region of northern France. Le Touquet sits at the southern end and Hardelot just to the north near Boulogne sur Mer, so a single base can play both comfortably. Both are within easy reach of Calais and the Channel ports, which makes the pair a natural short golf break for travelers crossing from England by ferry or the tunnel.
How much do Le Touquet and Hardelot cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees: Le Touquet's La Mer runs from around 60 euros off peak to roughly 110 at the summer peak, while Hardelot's Les Pins sits in a similar band of about 75 to 110 euros in high season. Both vary with season, day and demand, and resort stay and play packages can change the math, so always confirm directly before booking.
Are Le Touquet and Hardelot good for a buddies trip from the UK?
Very. The Opal Coast is one of the easiest overseas golf breaks from southern England: a short Channel crossing, two classic 1930s courses 30 minutes apart, the three course Le Touquet resort for variety, and seaside towns with good food. It suits a long weekend for a buddies group or a relaxed couples trip, and pairs well with a wider tour of northern France golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and fees verified June 2026 against published course information. Last reviewed June 2026.